Welcome to Writer Wednesday!
Today we’ve got Catherine Chant rockin’ the house – which is especially apt, considering she writes rock ‘n’ roll romantic fiction and stories with paranormal twists for young adults. How cool is THAT?
Read on to learn more about Catherine and her latest work – and I hope you’ll leave some love in the comments. Because authors need groupies, too! 🙂
What inspires you to write?
I think I’m going to be in the minority when I say I’m not the type of writer who feels she has to write (like that I’ll die if I couldn’t). I’m creative in so many different ways that if writing were no longer an option, I’d find another outlet and be okay with that.
So why do I write if I don’t have to? I write because I enjoy it. It’s that simple. I like telling stories. I like starting on a path and seeing what’s around the corner. I enjoy discovering the unexpected, and I would love for readers to come along for the ride. I’m constantly inspired by the question of “What if…?”
[ML: So glad I’m not the only one who feels that way – though if I did, I think I’d get a lot more written.]
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
When I was in elementary school, the teachers would tell my mother that my assignments were sometimes late because I spent too much time looking around the room to see what other kids were doing.
I made that same mistake when I started writing. Sometimes it’s disguised as learning from others, which is fine, but if you pay too much attention to what other writers are doing, it’s easy to forget to work on your own stuff. Write for yourself first and don’t worry so much what everyone else is doing.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
This is a hard choice. I’ve read and loved a lot of books. But I’d have to say that the romance that stands out the most in my mind after all these years is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I read it when it was first published back in 1991 and it just struck a chord with me. The history, the emotions, the romance. It has it all. That book made me fall in love with the whole time travel genre and inspired me to write my own. Before that moment, I’d mostly read gothic romances.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
1. I always say I’m a horrible cook (it’s been a running joke in my family since I was a kid–I was majorly inept in Home Ec class), but I’m actually not that bad. I don’t much like cooking, though, so I’m happy to have everyone believe I’m horrible at it and that’s why I don’t cook more.
2. Before I got into writing, I was an artist. I drew and painted pictures all the time. Looking back, I probably should have gone to art school and become a graphic designer, but my parents wanted me to have a “practical” career, so I went to a traditional four-year college and studied math and held a technology job for 15 years. Now I’m back in the arts, so I got here eventually.
A Bit About Nothing Stays the Same (young adult time travel romance)
How far would you go to save someone’s life? Leah and Brennan are going all the way back to 1973.
One Choice Changes Everything…
In 1973, The Beat Detectors are the hottest TV pop band to hit the airwaves since The Monkees, thanks to the appealing vocals of rising teen idol Ronnie Basford. But behind the scenes, not everything is rainbows and unicorns. Ronnie realizes much too late that one bad decision can ruin your whole life.
Forty years later, Ronnie is dead from an apparent suicide and his sixteen-year-old son Brennan wants answers. He needs to understand how it all went so wrong. When he finds himself dropped back in time, to the set of his father’s TV show, he’s determined to redirect the course of his father’s life and create the happy ending Ronnie deserved.
Soccer star Leah Reinard has been crushing on Brennan Basford for ages. When they end up at the same summer job, she thinks the fates have finally aligned in her favor. That is, until Brennan suddenly disappears from existence. One day he’s there, the next day, he’s gone. And no one but Leah even remembers him. Can Leah find Brennan in time to stop him from ruining both their futures?
Available from Amazon.com: https://amzn.com/B01IASDPV4
A Bit About Catherine:
Catherine Chant is an active member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and a Golden Heart® finalist. She writes rock ‘n’ roll romantic fiction and stories with paranormal twists for young adults. Catherine is currently working on a new young adult suspense novel, and the next book in her Soul Mates series.
You can connect with Catherine at her website CatherineChant.com, on Twitter @Catherine_Chant, on Facebook CatherineChantNovels, or on Instagram Catherine_Chant
Thanks so much for being here, Catherine – I’m thrilled you chose to be a guest. 🙂
A Bit About G.E.:
Which type of romance do you love most, and why? 
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book:
Name two things people don’t know about you.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?